A new yoga studio has brought to Chadds Ford, what some consider, a better way of hanging around the gym.
Transcend Wellness and Yoga offers aerial yoga, a form of the practice where people stretch and exercise while suspended from, and in, a silky hammock-like device, a soft fabric trapeze that hangs from the ceiling like a swing or a large elongated U.
The yoga studio opened its doors in the Barn Shops of Chadds Ford on July 9. It’s where the Barn House coffee shop used to be, between Clipso Hair Salon and the Chadds Ford Gallery.
Studio owner Kelly Kuder — who’s been teaching yoga for 12 years — said using “the silk” for suspension makes it easier to get into yoga postures and eases apprehensions.
“It’s a great way for people to learn a lot of the more complicated yoga poses. It’s very supportive and very easy on the joints. It decompresses the joints so it’s very healing,” she said. “It makes it easier for people to get deeper into a pose…Being supported by the silk takes away the anxiety.”
Kuder said people also get stronger because of a strengthening aspect. It works particularly well for strengthening the upper body and abdomen, she said. Aerial yoga also helps with flexibility, as does all yoga. Kuder added that there’s another benefit.
“It’s also fun,” she said.
The practice is becoming more common in the U.S., Kuder said, but it’s still rare. Only a handful of studios in Pennsylvania have aerial yoga. The idea came from silk dancing and some of the work done by the Canadian-based circus, Cirque du Soleil.
Aerial yoga may not be for everyone. There are some conditions — such as pregnancy or high blood pressure — that preclude a person being upside down. Kuder said she reviews the situation with prospective students before they begin.
Transcend also conducts more traditional classes in “vinyasa”, or flow yoga. Instructor Janis Webb said flow yoga coordinates the breath with movements from pose to pose.
The studio also offers holistic wellness coaching and holistic health products and regimens.
For more information on programs, products and services, go to www.transcendwellnessandyoga.com, send an email to info@transcendwellnessandyoga.com, or phone 484-770-8058.
Photo caption: Kelly Kuder, of Transcend Wellness and Yoga, does a seated stretch while suspended in “the silk.” (Photo by Rich Schwartzman)
About Rich Schwartzman
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
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